The rapid recognition of the presence of a cell and/or microbe, their specific identification and characterization, the selection of agent(s) for therapeutic intervention; and the identification and characterization of specific binding pairs involve clear medical and security needs. The rapid detection of microbes, pathologic or otherwise, in humans, animals or in other environmental locations, such as water, air, or food, may be used to provide an early response, for example, to contain a pathogen and potentially save lives. Due, in part, to the modern centralization of food and drinking supplies, the early detection of microbes in these supplies could improve the safety of food and/or water. As another example, the early and accurate recognition of the presence of a bioterror agent (e.g., ricin, anthrax, ebola, etc.) in a public area could potentially save lives by triggering an early response.
However, current technology generally requires either time-intensive culturing of bacteria or other more expensive assays such as immunological assays (e.g., Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay “ELISA”). Such technology can be time and/or labor intensive and may be prohibitively expensive.